In case it is not obvious, I'm kind of giving up on this whole blog thing. To be honest, I'm rarely sitting at home and even if I am on my computer after work (which almost never happens), I should be doing job stuff (which is not really happening much either although it should). SO at least for a little while, I'm going to stop aspiring to put up new posts. I really want to hear what is going on in people's lives and I'd love to share what's going on here, but I think individual phone calls or emails are really the way to do it at this point (I question whether anyone actually reads this...or at least anyone that I am not already communicating with by some other method).
Here's the important stuff:
I'll be home in Chicago from February 17-27. Mark your calendars.
I still have no real idea what I'm doing as of next August. Any bright ideas/job offers/advice, send them my way!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
"Uh Yeah, Your House Is Still Open..."
This past week, the weather has definitely made life here more difficult. After 3 days of snow, we had clear skies (a rarity in Juneau). The problem is that whenever it clears up, it gets SUPER cold. On Friday and Saturday, our highs were in the mid-teens and lows were in the single digits. Perfect time for a hike, right? My friends and I had already rented out a cabin for Friday night so I took a half day on Friday (the only way to be able to hike in daylight since the sun sets around 3:30 PM) and out the road we went. Neil and I tried to snowshoe at first, but there wasn't that much on the snow so it was a lot more work than it was worth. Eventually, we just carried the snowshoes and hiked like all the other people in our group. Although it was cold, the views were worth it.
Our night at the cabin was great and when we woke up, the lake had frozen over. Our (stupid) friend, Ben, decided to try it out. Made for a pretty awesome picture, huh?
The real fun began when we tried to leave. One of our garbage bags broke on the hike out so that was annoying to say the least. The real fun began when we returned to the car. My dear friend, Amber, has been driving around with a flat tire for quite some time. Instead of getting it fixed, she just stops every few days to put air in the tires. Overnight at the cabin, it had snowed a few inches. As Amber pulled out of the parking lot and tried to get back on the trail access road (which was all ice and snow), her car got stuck. REALLY stuck. She tried flooring it, backing up, etc...no movement. Luckily, we had a shovel and between us digging around the tires and three boys pushing the car, we got her moving again. By the time we got to the main road (about a mile later), her tire was so flat that you could hear it going ker-plunk, ker-plunk. Obviously, it was not a good idea to drive the 25 miles on the highway back to town. We pulled over and the boys got out to help. Then the real fun began.
Mind you, it was no more than 14 degrees at the warmest time of day and everyone but me (who had no circulation and fingers that were turning blue) was standing outside. Amber had a spare...but it had somehow frozen to the trunk. Eventually, with the help of a friendly stranger, the boys managed to yank it out. But at that point, they acknowledged that there was no way that they were going to be change it on their own. Since none of us had cell phone reception (again, we were out the road), we decided the best thing to do would be to pile 7 of us into a small sedan and drive to the waffle place to get breakfast and call AAA. After some delicious waffles, I drove the girls (in Ben's stickshift car) back out the highway to meet AAA and Amber's tire got changed. We finally made it home, in one piece, around 5:30 PM on Saturday.
It finally warmed up when it started snowing again yesterday (and yes, it's still snowing). As I've mentioned previously, I live right near a really popular hiking trail. A lot of the state workers like coming up here and walking Perseverance during lunch. On Monday, I was coming back from my lunchtime jog (the only time I can jog outside in daylight) and this guy goes "turn around, you can't go up there, Perseverance is closed off." I said, "Thanks, but actually I'm going to my house. I live right there." (And I pointed the 3 houses up the block.) The guy seemed a little embarrassed and informed me, "uh yeah, your house is still open." THANKS. I'll keep you posted on whether an avalanche does block off access to my house at some point (a very real possibility). All this snow means our ski slope is opening early so on Friday, I'll finally be able to use my snowboard again!
Our night at the cabin was great and when we woke up, the lake had frozen over. Our (stupid) friend, Ben, decided to try it out. Made for a pretty awesome picture, huh?
The real fun began when we tried to leave. One of our garbage bags broke on the hike out so that was annoying to say the least. The real fun began when we returned to the car. My dear friend, Amber, has been driving around with a flat tire for quite some time. Instead of getting it fixed, she just stops every few days to put air in the tires. Overnight at the cabin, it had snowed a few inches. As Amber pulled out of the parking lot and tried to get back on the trail access road (which was all ice and snow), her car got stuck. REALLY stuck. She tried flooring it, backing up, etc...no movement. Luckily, we had a shovel and between us digging around the tires and three boys pushing the car, we got her moving again. By the time we got to the main road (about a mile later), her tire was so flat that you could hear it going ker-plunk, ker-plunk. Obviously, it was not a good idea to drive the 25 miles on the highway back to town. We pulled over and the boys got out to help. Then the real fun began.
Mind you, it was no more than 14 degrees at the warmest time of day and everyone but me (who had no circulation and fingers that were turning blue) was standing outside. Amber had a spare...but it had somehow frozen to the trunk. Eventually, with the help of a friendly stranger, the boys managed to yank it out. But at that point, they acknowledged that there was no way that they were going to be change it on their own. Since none of us had cell phone reception (again, we were out the road), we decided the best thing to do would be to pile 7 of us into a small sedan and drive to the waffle place to get breakfast and call AAA. After some delicious waffles, I drove the girls (in Ben's stickshift car) back out the highway to meet AAA and Amber's tire got changed. We finally made it home, in one piece, around 5:30 PM on Saturday.
It finally warmed up when it started snowing again yesterday (and yes, it's still snowing). As I've mentioned previously, I live right near a really popular hiking trail. A lot of the state workers like coming up here and walking Perseverance during lunch. On Monday, I was coming back from my lunchtime jog (the only time I can jog outside in daylight) and this guy goes "turn around, you can't go up there, Perseverance is closed off." I said, "Thanks, but actually I'm going to my house. I live right there." (And I pointed the 3 houses up the block.) The guy seemed a little embarrassed and informed me, "uh yeah, your house is still open." THANKS. I'll keep you posted on whether an avalanche does block off access to my house at some point (a very real possibility). All this snow means our ski slope is opening early so on Friday, I'll finally be able to use my snowboard again!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
I'm Dreaming of A White November?
Friday was a state holiday, which meant we had the day off from work. This holiday luckily coincided with the Bald Eagle Festival in Haines, the largest congregation of bald eagles in the world. SO, on Friday, my co-clerks and I (and a few other friends) were up, on the way to the ferry docks. I was tired and just wanted to sleep, but the views of sunrise were amazing. Obviously, I had to wait a bit before I could justify closing my eyes. Here's one of my favorites:
I must admit, watching the moon reflect over the water was even cooler than the sun peeking out from behind the mountains. We really lucked out with the weather. On Friday, it was clear and not raining (this is very uncommon in Southeast) so we were fortunate to be able to view the entire inner passage all the way to Haines (or at least for the 2 hours that I was not asleep). Haines is about 75 miles from Juneau, but it takes 4.5 hours on the ferry to get there (yep, travel in Alaska is not cheap or easy). It was worth the trip-
After arriving in Haines, we immediately went out to the Bald Eagle Preserve, 48,000 acres of protected land. Once we pulled over to one of the lookouts, it was crazy, there were eagles EVERYWHERE. We'd think it was black spots in the distance or tree stumps...nope, just eagles perched in the snow. Turns out, eagles are lazy...SUPER lazy. They come to this spot for 2 reasons: 1) the water stays warmer than surrounding areas and doesn't freeze because of percolating something or other and 2) dead salmon. Yep, that's right. Eagles prefer to not have to hunt their food. They wait until it comes floating up to the surface and then will maybe expend the energy to bend down and fish it out. Oh, and if that eagle buddy nearby has a salmon, they'll just take his instead of getting their own. And this is our national symbol...Go Team USA!
Despite the fact that they're lazy, eagles are still really cool to watch. There were so many eagles in the preserve (literally thousands) that we could watch them in the trees by the side of the road, see them across the river or in the far trees (with binoculars) or see them soaring overhead. We also got to see them pooping...literally, it seemed like there was a communal poop time when they all just let it flow. I saw one bird poop on another guy lower in the branches (often several birds would hang out in the same tree). I guess he figured his buddy would get mad so he decided that was an opportune time to scamper off and fly away. That's right, I saw a bald eagle poop and dash...LOVELY.
On Saturday, we woke up to over 6 inches of snow. Everything was blanketed in white and that's the way it would stay the rest of the weekend. Haines is the quintessential charming small Alaska town. It has one real main road and a cluster of houses, but mostly it's just mountains. If you didn't know anybody, you could miss the tiny town tucked into a cove and just soak up the views of the inlet. I went for a run on Saturday (snow running, woo hoo) and it was absolutely breathtaking. Yes, I slipped a few times on the snow and ice, but the views were worth every bruise. That mountain air really does something good for me. Besides, I expected to see Santa and his sleigh flying by at any minute...
We spent our leisurely weekend enjoying the town (and the snow), getting out to see the birds at the preserve another time, visiting the Haines brewing company twice (and other local shops), and savoring Chai lattes at the local health food store (yep, even a town that small has its Whole Foods type wannabe). Unfortunately, the hammer museum was closed. On Sunday night, we returned to Juneau. Although it had snowed here basically all weekend, there were already 3 inches on the ground when our ferry arrived and it hasn't really stopped yet. I think I had to wipe over a foot of snow off Lester today...but he started so yippee!
*More pics of the Haines trip are on facebook. Enjoy!
After arriving in Haines, we immediately went out to the Bald Eagle Preserve, 48,000 acres of protected land. Once we pulled over to one of the lookouts, it was crazy, there were eagles EVERYWHERE. We'd think it was black spots in the distance or tree stumps...nope, just eagles perched in the snow. Turns out, eagles are lazy...SUPER lazy. They come to this spot for 2 reasons: 1) the water stays warmer than surrounding areas and doesn't freeze because of percolating something or other and 2) dead salmon. Yep, that's right. Eagles prefer to not have to hunt their food. They wait until it comes floating up to the surface and then will maybe expend the energy to bend down and fish it out. Oh, and if that eagle buddy nearby has a salmon, they'll just take his instead of getting their own. And this is our national symbol...Go Team USA!
Despite the fact that they're lazy, eagles are still really cool to watch. There were so many eagles in the preserve (literally thousands) that we could watch them in the trees by the side of the road, see them across the river or in the far trees (with binoculars) or see them soaring overhead. We also got to see them pooping...literally, it seemed like there was a communal poop time when they all just let it flow. I saw one bird poop on another guy lower in the branches (often several birds would hang out in the same tree). I guess he figured his buddy would get mad so he decided that was an opportune time to scamper off and fly away. That's right, I saw a bald eagle poop and dash...LOVELY.
On Saturday, we woke up to over 6 inches of snow. Everything was blanketed in white and that's the way it would stay the rest of the weekend. Haines is the quintessential charming small Alaska town. It has one real main road and a cluster of houses, but mostly it's just mountains. If you didn't know anybody, you could miss the tiny town tucked into a cove and just soak up the views of the inlet. I went for a run on Saturday (snow running, woo hoo) and it was absolutely breathtaking. Yes, I slipped a few times on the snow and ice, but the views were worth every bruise. That mountain air really does something good for me. Besides, I expected to see Santa and his sleigh flying by at any minute...
We spent our leisurely weekend enjoying the town (and the snow), getting out to see the birds at the preserve another time, visiting the Haines brewing company twice (and other local shops), and savoring Chai lattes at the local health food store (yep, even a town that small has its Whole Foods type wannabe). Unfortunately, the hammer museum was closed. On Sunday night, we returned to Juneau. Although it had snowed here basically all weekend, there were already 3 inches on the ground when our ferry arrived and it hasn't really stopped yet. I think I had to wipe over a foot of snow off Lester today...but he started so yippee!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Where's My Mommy When I Need Her?
I may be in my mid to late 20s but nothing makes me miss my mommy more than when I get sick. Really, I'm usually fine being independent but when I feel horrible, I just want to lay on the couch and have my mom cater to my every need. Isn't that what they're for?
Today, I had my first official sick day from work. Well, I didn't actually take the day off, but I did spend it working from home (exciting...reading on my couch here instead of the couch in my office!). I even got to go in for one of those same day doctor's office appointments. I wanted my mom to arrange that, but I had to call. Then, I got the goods. I wanted my mom to drive me to said doctor's appointment...but no, I walked. I wanted my mom to drive to the pharmacy to pick up the prescriptions, but no, I walked. (However, I did call her to whine while waiting for the prescriptions to be ready.) Now, I'm feeling better (after a day of feeling sorry for myself). Anyways, I'll write more soon :)
Today, I had my first official sick day from work. Well, I didn't actually take the day off, but I did spend it working from home (exciting...reading on my couch here instead of the couch in my office!). I even got to go in for one of those same day doctor's office appointments. I wanted my mom to arrange that, but I had to call. Then, I got the goods. I wanted my mom to drive me to said doctor's appointment...but no, I walked. I wanted my mom to drive to the pharmacy to pick up the prescriptions, but no, I walked. (However, I did call her to whine while waiting for the prescriptions to be ready.) Now, I'm feeling better (after a day of feeling sorry for myself). Anyways, I'll write more soon :)
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Baby When The Lights Go Out...
SOOOO, I was originally planning to write this post on Tuesday...but Tuesday was challenging to say the least. The power went out on me three separate times that day: (1) at 12:15 PM, while Gina and I were trying to get in a workout (literally, I got on the stair master and it slowly died until I dropped to the floor); (2) around 1:30 PM for an hour while at work (so much for "returning to productivity," but great for my ping pong skills) and then (3) about 8:20 PM for over 1.5 hours (meaning no blog post for you guys). What's more fun is that apparently all of Juneau is on one circuit/grid (okay, so I don't know that much about electricity) so when the power goes, it goes everywhere. Literally. Even the street lights were out. Since Beth and I have yet to stock up on candles and matches, this game became quite interesting. Lucky, I'm a quick thinker so we got to recline by the light of headlamps. Oh thank you, Lord REI. Fortunately, the power eventually came back on (this was very fortunate since our heat is electric as well and we had some rain/snow mix that evening). The next morning, the Juneau Empire had a picture of some electric box (a transformer, maybe?) on fire and reports of mudslides causing power outages. I do not know how anything could be on fire here with all the rain, but it made for some awesome images. Hope all is well with you!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween!
As my mother reminded me today, Halloween is actually tomorrow. But the parties were all this weekend and since I've been informed that I am too old to trick-or-treat, the celebration has pretty much come and gone. Juneau Halloween is just as fab as anywhere else...maybe more so because the small physical distance of downtown makes it easier to party hop. (We went to 3 different house parties and made it out to the bars last night.) I saw more people in Juneau this weekend than I have ever before (not including tourists)...where did all these people come from? Apparently, everyone goes out for Halloween. It was tons of fun and our favorite local watering hole had a costume contest. We didn't make it there in time to enter, but my friends and I were the sweetest treats of the night. (Literally, I was a cupcake and together, Neil and I were a baker's dozen. My friends Karla and Amber were cotton candy. As the pics will show, we all looked AWESOME.)
The small town aspect of Juneau also meant that my friends and I were recruited to be in the cast for the local independently-run movie theater's showing of Rocky Horror, something I definitely would not have done in a big city. The audience was a bunch of good participaters (I mean, hey, we knew half of them) and it was tons of fun. I think you'll agree that Neil and I pulled off a pretty good Brad and Janet. Pictures of all these festivities can be seen on facebook. If you want to hear some stories, that's great. I'm not posting them on the internet. However, if you call or email, I may divulge some of the details!
The small town aspect of Juneau also meant that my friends and I were recruited to be in the cast for the local independently-run movie theater's showing of Rocky Horror, something I definitely would not have done in a big city. The audience was a bunch of good participaters (I mean, hey, we knew half of them) and it was tons of fun. I think you'll agree that Neil and I pulled off a pretty good Brad and Janet. Pictures of all these festivities can be seen on facebook. If you want to hear some stories, that's great. I'm not posting them on the internet. However, if you call or email, I may divulge some of the details!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Today Is A Big Day-
Why? Well, I just renewed my TIME magazine subscription for 2 more years for only $25!! Yes, after getting a letter about it every week, I finally did it. Now, I am current until the end of February 2014. What if I don't make it until then? If you would like to become the beneficiary of my TIME magazine subscription, lemme know ;)
Are you wondering if my life has become sooooo boring that the above paragraph is all I have to write about? WELL, it hasn't...but I'm pretty tired today so I'm being lazy. Sara left Monday and between my several visitors and dogsitting, I only have to worry about myself for the first time in only a month. Well me and HALLOWEEN. It's right around the corner! I have been informed by my several friends here that I am too old to trick-or-treat. However, I visit the candy jar on Cathy's (our judicial assistant) desk about three times each day to eat the candy corn. I am also brainstorming the ultimate Juneau-appropriate costume and planning a pumpkin-carving party. Or 5...because pumpkins are fun! (Don't worry Mom, I promise no stitches this time!)
There is snow all over the mountains now and winter is right around the corner (today we got an email at work about winter closure policies). We also had 60 mph wind gusts with rain. Although 40 is still the high, it feels COLD! Everyone is just about ready for it to snow already so our ski slope can open. So yes, big things are right around the corner. Halloween, bald eagle fest (more on that in November) and SNOW!
Are you wondering if my life has become sooooo boring that the above paragraph is all I have to write about? WELL, it hasn't...but I'm pretty tired today so I'm being lazy. Sara left Monday and between my several visitors and dogsitting, I only have to worry about myself for the first time in only a month. Well me and HALLOWEEN. It's right around the corner! I have been informed by my several friends here that I am too old to trick-or-treat. However, I visit the candy jar on Cathy's (our judicial assistant) desk about three times each day to eat the candy corn. I am also brainstorming the ultimate Juneau-appropriate costume and planning a pumpkin-carving party. Or 5...because pumpkins are fun! (Don't worry Mom, I promise no stitches this time!)
There is snow all over the mountains now and winter is right around the corner (today we got an email at work about winter closure policies). We also had 60 mph wind gusts with rain. Although 40 is still the high, it feels COLD! Everyone is just about ready for it to snow already so our ski slope can open. So yes, big things are right around the corner. Halloween, bald eagle fest (more on that in November) and SNOW!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Sara, Sitka, SO much fun!
As some of you may have gathered from my facebook postings, the lovely Sara has come to town and we have been all over the place. She's already learned to trust my judgment when I tell her, "believe me, it'll taste better if we just cook it ourselves." Tonight, we're doing our very own salmon bake and I've invited about 10 friends. Definitely a good time.
We spent the last two days in Sitka for Alaska Day, the annual celebration of the day that Russia transferred Alaska to the good ol' USA. Oh you didn't have that day off of work? Sad. We went to a parade, had handfulls of candy thrown at us, went to a pie fair, attended a reenactment done by the military (apparently the ones not in Iraq get to put on 1860s costumes and pretend to be Russian...not a bad deal), and explored the area (Whale park anyone?). We also checked out some Native American museums and learned a little more about the culture and/or how the Americans were SO much worse than the Russians. Go US!
We took the ferry both ways, which was an experience in itself. We mostly camped out on the floor in teh "recliner lounge," but we also had some amazing views of the inner passage on the way. My camera battery died partway through that trip, but Sara has put up some pics of our adventures in the last few days. Here's the links, enjoy!
We spent the last two days in Sitka for Alaska Day, the annual celebration of the day that Russia transferred Alaska to the good ol' USA. Oh you didn't have that day off of work? Sad. We went to a parade, had handfulls of candy thrown at us, went to a pie fair, attended a reenactment done by the military (apparently the ones not in Iraq get to put on 1860s costumes and pretend to be Russian...not a bad deal), and explored the area (Whale park anyone?). We also checked out some Native American museums and learned a little more about the culture and/or how the Americans were SO much worse than the Russians. Go US!
We took the ferry both ways, which was an experience in itself. We mostly camped out on the floor in teh "recliner lounge," but we also had some amazing views of the inner passage on the way. My camera battery died partway through that trip, but Sara has put up some pics of our adventures in the last few days. Here's the links, enjoy!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Where Have I Gone?
I've been dogsitting since last Friday and the place I'm living at has no wifi...it has old fashioned plug into the wall internet. In order to use said internet, you have to sit at a desk with an uncomfortable chair instead of on the couch with your laptop. Thus, I have reduced my non-work internet use (which was already at a minimum). Tonight, I'm hanging out at my house, baking a pie. Let me know how you think it turned out:
Friday, October 7, 2011
There are JEWS in Juneau!!
Today is the start of Yom Kippur. Since I assume most of the people reading this either grew up in Skokie or a place similarly teeming with Jews OR have a ton of Jewish friends so they know more about the kippur than Jesus, this fact is not news. For those of you who have escaped the tribal influence, Yom Kippur is the day of atonement, where we ask for forgiveness for our sins and ask to be written in the Book of Life for another year. We also fast (no eating, drinking, "intimacy" with a partner, showering or wearing fine clothes) to symbolically cleanse ourselves and to abstain (if we're asking for forgiveness for our sins, we should be able to, you know, not sin for a day...).
That said, in Alaska, this is not a widespread fact. There are Jews here, but not many. Going to temple tonight for the start of Yom Kippur meant I had to miss "Zombie walk" (darn!). I've also had to tell people over and over again that I 1) can't go out tonight (or won't be going out) and 2) won't be eating all day tomorrow. These two facts seem preposterous. The Jews here LOVE me (go figure). I've already been introduced to the "young men" of the temple. One of them looked just like my friend, Simon, which made me kind of sad that it wasn't Simon. I think this new character was a little confused because I had this super disappointed look on my face as I was shaking his hand. Oops!
Anyhow, three hours into fasting, I'm already thirsty so the fun has begun. When my caffeine migraine sets in tomorrow, then the REAL fun will begin. We'll see if I have any self-discipline (probably not)...
That said, in Alaska, this is not a widespread fact. There are Jews here, but not many. Going to temple tonight for the start of Yom Kippur meant I had to miss "Zombie walk" (darn!). I've also had to tell people over and over again that I 1) can't go out tonight (or won't be going out) and 2) won't be eating all day tomorrow. These two facts seem preposterous. The Jews here LOVE me (go figure). I've already been introduced to the "young men" of the temple. One of them looked just like my friend, Simon, which made me kind of sad that it wasn't Simon. I think this new character was a little confused because I had this super disappointed look on my face as I was shaking his hand. Oops!
Anyhow, three hours into fasting, I'm already thirsty so the fun has begun. When my caffeine migraine sets in tomorrow, then the REAL fun will begin. We'll see if I have any self-discipline (probably not)...
Monday, October 3, 2011
Back To Normal?
Well I have a new normal now because Beth is finally here and she's AWESOME! We've been sitting on the couch in pajamas together all night, having fun and laughing. It's amazing. Our kitchen is well-stocked and I can already tell that we are going to get along just peachy. She brought her snowboard too and I just bought my Eaglecrest (municipal ski slope) season pass so I hope to be on the mountain ALL the time. It's been fairly cold here recently (like 40s) and everyone says that winter is "coming soon" so I'm hoping we get some awesome snow.
Also, you should watch this video. I find it funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdqIpYhM6PE
So, the weekend was fab. I became a lawyer and I had friends in town. Marina and Joe had a great time (I think) except for when I dragged them all over the mountain. I picked hikes that I thought were easier (or at least not too difficult...except for the part where you climb up rocks), but I also forgot that I've been here for a while and my glutes are in great shape so I walk up hills like a mountain goat these days. It's not that easy when you've come from flat land. Overall, we did a ton of activities including a bon fire, a rope swing through the trees, hiking, playing in ice caves, visiting the brewery, eating lots of salmon in its various forms and otherwise exploring. They were also exposed to my driving. They heart Lester now. Who doesn't?! OH, Juneau is doing some renovations on the bridge near my house...which means that I had to learn how to 3-point turn in the narrow little road in front of my house. NOT fun, but I can do it now so I guess it'll have to do... The signs at the end of my road look terrifying, as if death is near...I'll take a picture sometime soon. I'll post some of these amazing ones from the weekend (and/or let Marina put up the much higher quality version).
Also, you should watch this video. I find it funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdqIpYhM6PE
So, the weekend was fab. I became a lawyer and I had friends in town. Marina and Joe had a great time (I think) except for when I dragged them all over the mountain. I picked hikes that I thought were easier (or at least not too difficult...except for the part where you climb up rocks), but I also forgot that I've been here for a while and my glutes are in great shape so I walk up hills like a mountain goat these days. It's not that easy when you've come from flat land. Overall, we did a ton of activities including a bon fire, a rope swing through the trees, hiking, playing in ice caves, visiting the brewery, eating lots of salmon in its various forms and otherwise exploring. They were also exposed to my driving. They heart Lester now. Who doesn't?! OH, Juneau is doing some renovations on the bridge near my house...which means that I had to learn how to 3-point turn in the narrow little road in front of my house. NOT fun, but I can do it now so I guess it'll have to do... The signs at the end of my road look terrifying, as if death is near...I'll take a picture sometime soon. I'll post some of these amazing ones from the weekend (and/or let Marina put up the much higher quality version).
Friday, September 30, 2011
Yay Visitors!
My first visitors, Marina and Joe, arrived last night. I brought them home and then had 5 other people come over so we had a good dinner with friends and LOTS of wine. It was tons of fun and they got to sleep it off while I went to work. I also sent them on a hike and gave them lots of activities during the day. When I got off work, we all went for a group "walk." Anyways, they're here until Monday so I probably won't write much this weekend. Check back soon!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Heeeeeeeeeeeeey Bear
I hope you have all had a chance to view my most recent photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.760028779102.2245726.3100290&l=0d1f3cff78&type=1
I woke up to tons of sunshine and blue skies on Sunday. There was barely a cloud in the sky...it was as if I lived somewhere normal. Obviously, it was a hiking day. Jimmy and I had our already planned for a long hike if the opportune moment should come and Sunday was it. We had an ambitious plan: the Mt. Juneau trail (up and down can be a 7-8 hour hike), walk the ridge (for how many miles? it was unclear, even from the guidebooks), connect to the Granite Creek trail (although we had no idea what that looked like and neither of us had been on it) and then hike back down to Perseverance. Oh, and that "light dusting" of fresh snow on the ridge was visible from the ground...but we could still find the trail, right?
Our day started well. I was a bit shall we say "tired" and pushed back our start time by a half hour. Right after getting in the car to drive the 1 mile to the trailhead (why walk when that extra mile could be just the thing to do us in?), I realized that I had left all the food and snacks that I packed on the counter in my kitchen. Becca fail. So we turned around and went back (only a few minute detour). Well, as luck would have it, that was a good thing because on the drive back, we spotted the mama bear and her 2 cubs. If we hadn't gone back for my food, we would have missed the super close encounter. Getting to watch the bears was incredible...and we hadn't even started our hike! (And yes, when people want bears to "scoot," they often say "heeeeeeeey bear.")
The start of our hike was great, but super warm. It felt like it was 80 degrees with the sun shining down on us...and the first part is up a mountain so we gained elevation fast. We saw a ptarmigan (Alaska state bird, basically a mountain chicken with more interesting noises) and a guy with a gun (just in case he felt like shooting something...LOVE it). The Mt. Juneau trail is stunning, but the last 1/2 is fairly strenuous. During the last part, you're basically climbing up boulders. There is a "trail" but you have to put your hands down a lot too. Plus, apparently several people have died on it so it's not one you really want to slip and fall on. LOVELY. But I made it...after a lot of hemming and hawing, sweating profusely and apologizing to Jimmy for going so slow (actually, we were apparently booking it and made it up super fast...no wonder I was so tired!).
We ran into a few other people at the top of Mt. Juneau. They seemed not so sure that the weather would hold and questioned whether we could make it all the way to Granite creek with the snow-capped mountains (there is no real ridge trail, but the well-worn path is easy to lose at certain places). We figured we might as well walk until we lost the trail or felt like it was a good idea to turn around (although with Jimmy and me, the answer to that question is probably always going to be "never"). Luckily, after about a mile, we ran into an older couple that told us some markers to look for and roughly what the ridge trail looked like. They warned us not to turn down too early (a common mistake) or else we'd be heading right off steep cliffs and/or having to bushwhack our way down. NOT fun.
Obviously, we made it (look at the pics!). The snow was really fun for the most part (besides the parts when it was ice and with every step of the traverse, you start sliding down the hill). There were some downhill portions where I was basically snowboarding without the board. We were screaming like little kids. What better way to spend a Sunday?
Of course, it's Juneau so the rain caught up with us eventually. Luckily, we were pretty low down by that point and were just following the basin back out to Perseverance. At the end of our hike, the rain lightened and we got a beautiful view of a rainbow. A perfect end to a perfect day. I was so tired (and sore) afterwards that I passed out pretty soon and have still been recovering today. SOOOO worth it!
I woke up to tons of sunshine and blue skies on Sunday. There was barely a cloud in the sky...it was as if I lived somewhere normal. Obviously, it was a hiking day. Jimmy and I had our already planned for a long hike if the opportune moment should come and Sunday was it. We had an ambitious plan: the Mt. Juneau trail (up and down can be a 7-8 hour hike), walk the ridge (for how many miles? it was unclear, even from the guidebooks), connect to the Granite Creek trail (although we had no idea what that looked like and neither of us had been on it) and then hike back down to Perseverance. Oh, and that "light dusting" of fresh snow on the ridge was visible from the ground...but we could still find the trail, right?
Our day started well. I was a bit shall we say "tired" and pushed back our start time by a half hour. Right after getting in the car to drive the 1 mile to the trailhead (why walk when that extra mile could be just the thing to do us in?), I realized that I had left all the food and snacks that I packed on the counter in my kitchen. Becca fail. So we turned around and went back (only a few minute detour). Well, as luck would have it, that was a good thing because on the drive back, we spotted the mama bear and her 2 cubs. If we hadn't gone back for my food, we would have missed the super close encounter. Getting to watch the bears was incredible...and we hadn't even started our hike! (And yes, when people want bears to "scoot," they often say "heeeeeeeey bear.")
The start of our hike was great, but super warm. It felt like it was 80 degrees with the sun shining down on us...and the first part is up a mountain so we gained elevation fast. We saw a ptarmigan (Alaska state bird, basically a mountain chicken with more interesting noises) and a guy with a gun (just in case he felt like shooting something...LOVE it). The Mt. Juneau trail is stunning, but the last 1/2 is fairly strenuous. During the last part, you're basically climbing up boulders. There is a "trail" but you have to put your hands down a lot too. Plus, apparently several people have died on it so it's not one you really want to slip and fall on. LOVELY. But I made it...after a lot of hemming and hawing, sweating profusely and apologizing to Jimmy for going so slow (actually, we were apparently booking it and made it up super fast...no wonder I was so tired!).
We ran into a few other people at the top of Mt. Juneau. They seemed not so sure that the weather would hold and questioned whether we could make it all the way to Granite creek with the snow-capped mountains (there is no real ridge trail, but the well-worn path is easy to lose at certain places). We figured we might as well walk until we lost the trail or felt like it was a good idea to turn around (although with Jimmy and me, the answer to that question is probably always going to be "never"). Luckily, after about a mile, we ran into an older couple that told us some markers to look for and roughly what the ridge trail looked like. They warned us not to turn down too early (a common mistake) or else we'd be heading right off steep cliffs and/or having to bushwhack our way down. NOT fun.
Obviously, we made it (look at the pics!). The snow was really fun for the most part (besides the parts when it was ice and with every step of the traverse, you start sliding down the hill). There were some downhill portions where I was basically snowboarding without the board. We were screaming like little kids. What better way to spend a Sunday?
Of course, it's Juneau so the rain caught up with us eventually. Luckily, we were pretty low down by that point and were just following the basin back out to Perseverance. At the end of our hike, the rain lightened and we got a beautiful view of a rainbow. A perfect end to a perfect day. I was so tired (and sore) afterwards that I passed out pretty soon and have still been recovering today. SOOOO worth it!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Lions and Tigers and BEARS, Oh My!
So as the title of this post may suggest, I once again will be writing about the wildlife. First, I had moose for the first time on Tuesday night. Actually, it was the main ingredient in Moose Chili and it was DELICIOUS! It's not gamey at all, but has a good flavor (at least in chili). I highly recommend it. I also have reindeer sausage in my freezer, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Marina and Joe on Thursday (this is as close to "foodie" culture as we get up here).
I also had my first downtown bear sighting last night which was pretty awesome (at least, I think so...mostly because I was located at a safe viewing distance). Bears walk around downtown all the time (allegedly), but I (and most of the clerks) always seem to miss them. I've heard neighbors chatting about the bears they saw here or there, but I never seem to encounter them (unfortunately? fortunately?). However, on my way back up the hill from trivia, one hungry guy had gotten into a trash can. Luckily, there was a couple that stopped me before I got close, pointed out the animal and ensured I didn't get too close. I was beside myself with excitement. I'm obviously a super authentic Alaskan now.
I have started getting questions about my job. After all, it may seem like all I do up here is drink and hike. And while I enjoy those activities, I actually work quite a bit as well. So why not share the detes? Well, it's actually a strategic move. Most (or all) of the cases I work on are strictly confidential. The court is very concerned with ensuring that nobody finds out who is writing the opinion until after the case is published and if people know I am working on a case and they know that I work in Bud's chambers, it's pretty easy to find that out ahead of time. I get it; what does this have to do with all you lovely people a zillion miles away? More than you think. Juneau (and Alaska, in general) is a small legal community and word travels fast. Most people have family or friends down south and a little slip here or there can be more significant than it seems. (For example, we had oral arguments in Juneau last Friday. I walk into the courtroom for the first case and who is arguing it? The father of a good friend from law school, who I've already met. SMALL WORLD.) Hence, I have been erring on the side of non-disclosure.
Suffice it to say, I love my job. It is truly one of the best jobs I will probably ever have as a lawyer. Besides the flexibility that Bud allows us to have, he really values our opinion and our advice on cases. What I say about deciding important questions of law really matters to Bud and the other justices and although I feel like some of this responsibility is unwarranted, it is nice to be respected. I have worked on some really important cases (some that you too would find interesting and some that may cause you to chuckle). I would not be surprised if a few of them made it to the U.S. Supreme Court. I'm actually acting like a lawyer and recommending outcomes based on precedent, the strength of the arguments and any overriding policy considerations. My co-clerks and I discuss cases all the time (after all, they're the only people that I can talk to about cases) and sometimes we spend tons of time working through arguments or reasoning through our suggested opinions. Sometimes, we also play ping pong in Bud's office (which we did today). It's both intellectually fulfilling, challenging and fun (in a nerdy sort of way). Of course, all this work only has me questioning what I want to do next...where do you go when you start with such a good experience? Thoughts?!
Also, I want to hear how you are doing, but I know I suck at calling people (especially with the time difference). Send me an email and let me know you're still alive!
I also had my first downtown bear sighting last night which was pretty awesome (at least, I think so...mostly because I was located at a safe viewing distance). Bears walk around downtown all the time (allegedly), but I (and most of the clerks) always seem to miss them. I've heard neighbors chatting about the bears they saw here or there, but I never seem to encounter them (unfortunately? fortunately?). However, on my way back up the hill from trivia, one hungry guy had gotten into a trash can. Luckily, there was a couple that stopped me before I got close, pointed out the animal and ensured I didn't get too close. I was beside myself with excitement. I'm obviously a super authentic Alaskan now.
I have started getting questions about my job. After all, it may seem like all I do up here is drink and hike. And while I enjoy those activities, I actually work quite a bit as well. So why not share the detes? Well, it's actually a strategic move. Most (or all) of the cases I work on are strictly confidential. The court is very concerned with ensuring that nobody finds out who is writing the opinion until after the case is published and if people know I am working on a case and they know that I work in Bud's chambers, it's pretty easy to find that out ahead of time. I get it; what does this have to do with all you lovely people a zillion miles away? More than you think. Juneau (and Alaska, in general) is a small legal community and word travels fast. Most people have family or friends down south and a little slip here or there can be more significant than it seems. (For example, we had oral arguments in Juneau last Friday. I walk into the courtroom for the first case and who is arguing it? The father of a good friend from law school, who I've already met. SMALL WORLD.) Hence, I have been erring on the side of non-disclosure.
Suffice it to say, I love my job. It is truly one of the best jobs I will probably ever have as a lawyer. Besides the flexibility that Bud allows us to have, he really values our opinion and our advice on cases. What I say about deciding important questions of law really matters to Bud and the other justices and although I feel like some of this responsibility is unwarranted, it is nice to be respected. I have worked on some really important cases (some that you too would find interesting and some that may cause you to chuckle). I would not be surprised if a few of them made it to the U.S. Supreme Court. I'm actually acting like a lawyer and recommending outcomes based on precedent, the strength of the arguments and any overriding policy considerations. My co-clerks and I discuss cases all the time (after all, they're the only people that I can talk to about cases) and sometimes we spend tons of time working through arguments or reasoning through our suggested opinions. Sometimes, we also play ping pong in Bud's office (which we did today). It's both intellectually fulfilling, challenging and fun (in a nerdy sort of way). Of course, all this work only has me questioning what I want to do next...where do you go when you start with such a good experience? Thoughts?!
Also, I want to hear how you are doing, but I know I suck at calling people (especially with the time difference). Send me an email and let me know you're still alive!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Another Busy One...
Last night, a group of friends and I hiked up the John Muir trail and spent the night at the cabin up there. (You have to reserve the forest service cabins in advance and they're super popular so we were lucky to get one.) We had 9 people, a ton of food, a fire and too much booze. It was tons of fun, but I am exhausted! We really lucked out with the weather too and didn't get poured on while hiking up or down (a rarity in Juneau). It was even clear enough to see stars and the moon! We all hiked up with packs and my small group (Amber, Sam and I) carried up firewood. Carrying the extra 20-30 pounds was annoying, but we took turns and we had the fire going all night long so it was totally worth it. It was beautiful up at the top of the cabin (pictures to come soon). Sleeping in a cabin at the top of a mountain is fairly unique and definitely makes you think, "wow, I am so lucky to live here."
Although I had a ton of fun, this week has me beat. I got back from Anchorage on Monday night and have not stopped moving since then! My friend Sam is leaving town for good on Wednesday and we're all going to miss him so we've been trying to spend a lot of time hanging out. Sam also had a college friend in town on Tuesday-Thursday so we've basically been partying non-stop. On Tuesday, we hiked up to Mt. Roberts and went to dinner; Wednesday was trivia; and on Thursday, we hiked the Dupont trail at the end of Thane, went to dinner and had a bonfire on the beach. On Friday, all the justices were in Juneau so besides getting to watch oral arguments live and having tons of people pop in our offices during the workday "just to say hi," all the clerks gathered with the justices at Bud's after work for "wine and snacks." That was only the beginning of a crazy night and then after last night's cabin adventure to top it off, I'm ready to collapse.
So, I'm off to nap, but I wanted to flag something for you all. Alaska Airlines just released it's PFD sale. (The PFD is the oil dividend and many people use it to travel.) You can book tickets from now until next August. These are probably going to be some of the lowest prices you'll get so you may as well look now if you're thinking about visiting...
Although I had a ton of fun, this week has me beat. I got back from Anchorage on Monday night and have not stopped moving since then! My friend Sam is leaving town for good on Wednesday and we're all going to miss him so we've been trying to spend a lot of time hanging out. Sam also had a college friend in town on Tuesday-Thursday so we've basically been partying non-stop. On Tuesday, we hiked up to Mt. Roberts and went to dinner; Wednesday was trivia; and on Thursday, we hiked the Dupont trail at the end of Thane, went to dinner and had a bonfire on the beach. On Friday, all the justices were in Juneau so besides getting to watch oral arguments live and having tons of people pop in our offices during the workday "just to say hi," all the clerks gathered with the justices at Bud's after work for "wine and snacks." That was only the beginning of a crazy night and then after last night's cabin adventure to top it off, I'm ready to collapse.
So, I'm off to nap, but I wanted to flag something for you all. Alaska Airlines just released it's PFD sale. (The PFD is the oil dividend and many people use it to travel.) You can book tickets from now until next August. These are probably going to be some of the lowest prices you'll get so you may as well look now if you're thinking about visiting...
Friday, September 16, 2011
Because A Picture is Worth 1000 Words, A Video Must Be Worth Like A Trillion...
My friend and fellow HLS grad, Cari, is clerking in Anchorage. This weekend, I got to meet her fiance Nathan. He is quite the amateur filmmaker and documented our Seward trip. You can view it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qstcsrsmr5I&feature=player_embedded
Although we were all extremely sleep deprived (we had to be on the bus by 6:45 AM), it gives you a little glimpse of our fun-filled day. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qstcsrsmr5I&feature=player_embedded
Although we were all extremely sleep deprived (we had to be on the bus by 6:45 AM), it gives you a little glimpse of our fun-filled day. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Big City Livin' (aka My Trip to Anchorage)
My trip was AMAZING (look at the pictures). The flight to Anchorage is a tour in itself; on a clear day, you can see mountains filled with glaciers and ice fields. It literally looks like another planet. As we neared Anchorage, we saw something we hadn't seen in a while...a nice flat valley! Again, this place was strange to us, not what we've come to know as Alaska.
After we landed in Anchorage, I think all three of us (me and my co-clerks) had a strange sensation. Where were we? Juneau is so unique that being in Anchorage was a bit scary at first (the big city, oh my?!). Then, we saw the Chili's in the airport and knew we had found civilization and Am-er-i-cuh. The cab ride to our hotel was surreal as well. Anchorage looks a lot like California; big city in a lush valley with water on one side and mountains in the distance. This false comparison would quickly evaporate with moose encounters, but more on that later...
The state put us up in the nicest hotel in Anchorage (score!). However, it's so fancy that they charge for access to their "fitness club" (fail). We spent our first night roaming town, sampling the local breweries, checking out the coastal trail and watching one of the most gorgeous sunsets ever.
Orientation was kind of bland, but the best part was visiting the Native Heritage Center. I didn't take any pictures there because I felt it was rude and/or disrespectful. Plus, our tour guide had chin strap tattoos and I'm pretty sure she could take me.
On Saturday, we arranged a trip for the 3 of us and some of our new Anchorage friends to go visit Seward, a town about two hours from Anchorage. We did the "combo tour," meaning we boarded a bus (or "luxury motorcoach") in Anchorage by 6:45 AM, arrived in Seward and had 1.5 hours to wander (prob about 1.25 hours longer than necessary), took a 6 hour sight-seeing boat tour and then returned on the Alaska scenic railroad, a 4-hour journey. It was well worth the journey and sleep deprivation. Although some of the big ticket animals, like whales, are starting to head south, we saw a TON of stuff and the weather generally held out too. Here is a list: bald eagle, black bear, mountain goat, moose, orca whales (5), humpback whales (2), dall porpoises, calving glaciers, sea lions, harbor seals, regular seals, sea otters, puffins and a ton of seabirds. I didn't get all of these marvels on camera because a lot of them pop their heads out of the water to play, but then go down so fast that it's nearly impossible to catch them. I only got seasick for a portion of the 6 hour boat-ride (mostly when we were cruising up and down 15 foot swells...yay, Gulf of Alaska!). I can tell you one thing, being out in the middle of the ocean in the Northwest really seems like the end of the Earth. It requires a huge leap of faith that the boat will somehow bring you back to land. I have no idea how Columbus, Captain Cook and all those other seafarers did it back in the day. All I know is that their lives on land must have been PRETTY miserable...
On Sunday morning, I got up early to accompany a new friend on a training run (he's running his first marathon in about a month). This meant a chipper 20 mile run, which was great for getting to know Anchorage and its great trails. We encountered two moose up close, which was quite terrifying. The first one I spotted by the steam coming out of its nose (if that gives you any indication of how close we were). We hid behind a tree to observe it walking out on the trail, but luckily we didn't startle it (which will likely make the animal charge). A few miles later, we encountered another moose and literally almost ran into it. We calmly walked back up the trail and this moose was curious. She decided to follow (terrifying). Although she walked up the trail after us, she eventually lost interest as we hid behind neighboring trees and headed back into the forest next to the trail. Then, we politely trotted past and hoped she didn't get angry and charge. It really gave us the adrenaline rush we needed to keep running! On Sunday afternoon, we went to Lake Eklutna, a beautiful lake with hiking trails, camping and canoing areas. About half the clerks went and we hiked/wandered and canoed (or attempted to). One girl in my canoe flipped out and while half-crying demanded we take her back to shore. So we did. After we were exhausted, we started a campfire and made s'mores. Just like summer camp...
On Monday, we had more orientation. The highlight of that day was our "safety orientation," telling us what to do if we see bears, moose, run out of drinking water, get trapped by a flowing stream, etc. Basically, it was "How NOT to Die in Alaska 101." Cross your fingers for me!
Apparently, the actual Palin quote was that she could see Russia from Alaska (not "her house"). Apparently, this is true. Wasilla, her hometown, is close to Anchorage (just a bit farther North). I did not see Russia from Anchorage.
Lastly, Bud drove us back to the airport in his "official state use only" vehicle. I felt so special. However, it's good to be home. Goodbye chain stores and bar scene, hello rain!
After we landed in Anchorage, I think all three of us (me and my co-clerks) had a strange sensation. Where were we? Juneau is so unique that being in Anchorage was a bit scary at first (the big city, oh my?!). Then, we saw the Chili's in the airport and knew we had found civilization and Am-er-i-cuh. The cab ride to our hotel was surreal as well. Anchorage looks a lot like California; big city in a lush valley with water on one side and mountains in the distance. This false comparison would quickly evaporate with moose encounters, but more on that later...
The state put us up in the nicest hotel in Anchorage (score!). However, it's so fancy that they charge for access to their "fitness club" (fail). We spent our first night roaming town, sampling the local breweries, checking out the coastal trail and watching one of the most gorgeous sunsets ever.
Orientation was kind of bland, but the best part was visiting the Native Heritage Center. I didn't take any pictures there because I felt it was rude and/or disrespectful. Plus, our tour guide had chin strap tattoos and I'm pretty sure she could take me.
On Saturday, we arranged a trip for the 3 of us and some of our new Anchorage friends to go visit Seward, a town about two hours from Anchorage. We did the "combo tour," meaning we boarded a bus (or "luxury motorcoach") in Anchorage by 6:45 AM, arrived in Seward and had 1.5 hours to wander (prob about 1.25 hours longer than necessary), took a 6 hour sight-seeing boat tour and then returned on the Alaska scenic railroad, a 4-hour journey. It was well worth the journey and sleep deprivation. Although some of the big ticket animals, like whales, are starting to head south, we saw a TON of stuff and the weather generally held out too. Here is a list: bald eagle, black bear, mountain goat, moose, orca whales (5), humpback whales (2), dall porpoises, calving glaciers, sea lions, harbor seals, regular seals, sea otters, puffins and a ton of seabirds. I didn't get all of these marvels on camera because a lot of them pop their heads out of the water to play, but then go down so fast that it's nearly impossible to catch them. I only got seasick for a portion of the 6 hour boat-ride (mostly when we were cruising up and down 15 foot swells...yay, Gulf of Alaska!). I can tell you one thing, being out in the middle of the ocean in the Northwest really seems like the end of the Earth. It requires a huge leap of faith that the boat will somehow bring you back to land. I have no idea how Columbus, Captain Cook and all those other seafarers did it back in the day. All I know is that their lives on land must have been PRETTY miserable...
On Sunday morning, I got up early to accompany a new friend on a training run (he's running his first marathon in about a month). This meant a chipper 20 mile run, which was great for getting to know Anchorage and its great trails. We encountered two moose up close, which was quite terrifying. The first one I spotted by the steam coming out of its nose (if that gives you any indication of how close we were). We hid behind a tree to observe it walking out on the trail, but luckily we didn't startle it (which will likely make the animal charge). A few miles later, we encountered another moose and literally almost ran into it. We calmly walked back up the trail and this moose was curious. She decided to follow (terrifying). Although she walked up the trail after us, she eventually lost interest as we hid behind neighboring trees and headed back into the forest next to the trail. Then, we politely trotted past and hoped she didn't get angry and charge. It really gave us the adrenaline rush we needed to keep running! On Sunday afternoon, we went to Lake Eklutna, a beautiful lake with hiking trails, camping and canoing areas. About half the clerks went and we hiked/wandered and canoed (or attempted to). One girl in my canoe flipped out and while half-crying demanded we take her back to shore. So we did. After we were exhausted, we started a campfire and made s'mores. Just like summer camp...
On Monday, we had more orientation. The highlight of that day was our "safety orientation," telling us what to do if we see bears, moose, run out of drinking water, get trapped by a flowing stream, etc. Basically, it was "How NOT to Die in Alaska 101." Cross your fingers for me!
Apparently, the actual Palin quote was that she could see Russia from Alaska (not "her house"). Apparently, this is true. Wasilla, her hometown, is close to Anchorage (just a bit farther North). I did not see Russia from Anchorage.
Lastly, Bud drove us back to the airport in his "official state use only" vehicle. I felt so special. However, it's good to be home. Goodbye chain stores and bar scene, hello rain!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Oh, Sunny Days
It's funny how quick the transformation occurs...after one day of sun, it has been notoriously absent for the past 3 weeks. Every now and then, we'd get a glimpse of blue sky or a brief respite from the rain but we've come to accept cloudy, overcast and often rainy skies as part of our routine. On the few occasions where the sun did make a brief appearance, it was mostly behind clouds or still raining at the same time.
So today, we were truly blessed when the sun came back and bright skies reigned supreme. Bud moved around our meeting schedule to accommodate tram rides up Mt. Roberts (which provides perhaps some of the best views of Juneau and the surrounding area around). He bought us lunch, had us meet one-on-one to do "official business" while sitting in the mountaintop cafe and let us wander around while he met with other clerks. Getting an opportunity to hike midday but after a three-hour "field trip" from the office, it's definitely hard to get any work done. Here's two of my favorite pictures from our adventure:
After work, the sun held up so we had only one thought: what can we climb before the sun sets? Although we were a bit ambitious, we decided Mt. Jumbo was a good idea (it's often described as a 7-8 hour round trip with advanced and strenuous climbing conditions). Yes, the trail is sometimes straight up roots, rocks or the mountain. Yes, we left to go home and change at 4:15 PM and got to the trail by 5. Yes, we did it in 4 hours instead of 7-8, but we were still descending in darkness part of the way (the sun set at 7:40 today...yikes!). However, getting to the top was definitely worth it and some of the pictures on the way down were truly amazing. Here are 2 of my favorites:
Tomorrow, I leave for Anchorage. Work is sending us on an "orientation" trip, which includes a nature "heritage" hike. We get back late Monday night. This means a few things: 1) I will not be bringing my laptop so there will be no new posts until next week and 2) You will have to wait until at least Monday or Tuesday to see the rest of these amazing pictures on Facebook. I will incorporate all the Anchorage additions too so get excited.
So today, we were truly blessed when the sun came back and bright skies reigned supreme. Bud moved around our meeting schedule to accommodate tram rides up Mt. Roberts (which provides perhaps some of the best views of Juneau and the surrounding area around). He bought us lunch, had us meet one-on-one to do "official business" while sitting in the mountaintop cafe and let us wander around while he met with other clerks. Getting an opportunity to hike midday but after a three-hour "field trip" from the office, it's definitely hard to get any work done. Here's two of my favorite pictures from our adventure:
After work, the sun held up so we had only one thought: what can we climb before the sun sets? Although we were a bit ambitious, we decided Mt. Jumbo was a good idea (it's often described as a 7-8 hour round trip with advanced and strenuous climbing conditions). Yes, the trail is sometimes straight up roots, rocks or the mountain. Yes, we left to go home and change at 4:15 PM and got to the trail by 5. Yes, we did it in 4 hours instead of 7-8, but we were still descending in darkness part of the way (the sun set at 7:40 today...yikes!). However, getting to the top was definitely worth it and some of the pictures on the way down were truly amazing. Here are 2 of my favorites:
Tomorrow, I leave for Anchorage. Work is sending us on an "orientation" trip, which includes a nature "heritage" hike. We get back late Monday night. This means a few things: 1) I will not be bringing my laptop so there will be no new posts until next week and 2) You will have to wait until at least Monday or Tuesday to see the rest of these amazing pictures on Facebook. I will incorporate all the Anchorage additions too so get excited.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Life Through A Plastic Bag
So I know, I talk about the rain a lot. Mostly because, it rains a lot here. BUT I have come up with a genius idea in order to be able to share all of my rainy hiking sights with you...it's called a ziploc. I tried it out during my 5 1/2 hours of hiking today and I think overall, the pictures turned out pretty great.
Also, I'm not really going to post a lot of pictures on the blog anymore since they take about 15 minutes each to load. Instead, I'll put them up on facebook and add the link here. Not the most efficient, I know.
Where have I been this week? Well, we lucked out and got three consecutive days where it was not rainy after work. We even saw real genuine sun (not "Juneau sun") on Thursday (hence, the mobile upload). I hiked both Monday and Tuesday and the sights were amazing. On Monday, my friend Amber and I went up the John Muir trail. We didn't get to the cabin at the end because it started getting fairly dark and we figured it was a good idea to turn back. We're actually losing light at a rate of about 5-6 minutes per day. That may not seem like much, but the sun is setting about 35-40 minutes earlier each week. Ouch.
Tuesday, my friend Neil and I went out to Boy Scout Beach, so named for the boy scout camp located nearby. It is a legit beach with sand and seagulls and some of the most amazing views of the Chilkat mountain range. The cool thing about Juneau is that each new hike leads you to such amazing views, but they are all different in their own way. The pictures may look great, but they barely do it justice.
Look here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.752412761662.2243395.3100290&l=9364f74528
On Wednesday...well Wednesday is trivia day. My team actually came in 2nd place this week....which entitled us to $40 worth of free booze. I <3 you too, Juneau.
Thursday, we got some sun so I ran 10 miles...in a t-shirt. Life was good and the sky was blue. I was squinting a lot (it's funny how you quickly you acclimate to a much lower light level). Then, I went to the local movie theater (not the big commercial one). It's called the "Nick" (or Nickelodeon) and it's pretty sweet. There are couches in the back and each seat has its own couch pillow, there are lamps inside and the person running the movie just yells stuff from the projection room. Popcorn costs $2. I was sold.
On Friday, Bud and his wife, Annie, hosted us for our "welcome" dinner (so we've already been working for 3 weeks, whatever...). The food was delicious and the wine was overflowing. Mmmm, just the way I like it.
Today, it's poured basically all day. So, my friend Jimmy and I took it upon ourselves to go hike for 5 1/2 hours. First, we did the treadwell trails and played on all the old mine ruins. Afterwards, we figured we may as well go find Mt. Jumbo (the highest peak on Douglas Island and possibly in the area). We originally planned to go up only about 30-40 minutes to get a better view of the treadwell "Glory Hole." Instead, we did the whole trail (if you can even call it trail, most of it included walking up waterfalls and climbing up root systems). Although visibility sucked, it was still one of the coolest views around. I got startled when a brave deer intercepted our path, but Jimmy got him to go away. (Good thing it wasn't a grizzly!) It was raining the whole time, but as I mentioned earlier, I still took pictures. My xtratufs definitely got some good use today.
Here are the pictures:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.752418180802.2243398.3100290&l=78a2215b94&type=1
Ciao!
Also, I'm not really going to post a lot of pictures on the blog anymore since they take about 15 minutes each to load. Instead, I'll put them up on facebook and add the link here. Not the most efficient, I know.
Where have I been this week? Well, we lucked out and got three consecutive days where it was not rainy after work. We even saw real genuine sun (not "Juneau sun") on Thursday (hence, the mobile upload). I hiked both Monday and Tuesday and the sights were amazing. On Monday, my friend Amber and I went up the John Muir trail. We didn't get to the cabin at the end because it started getting fairly dark and we figured it was a good idea to turn back. We're actually losing light at a rate of about 5-6 minutes per day. That may not seem like much, but the sun is setting about 35-40 minutes earlier each week. Ouch.
Tuesday, my friend Neil and I went out to Boy Scout Beach, so named for the boy scout camp located nearby. It is a legit beach with sand and seagulls and some of the most amazing views of the Chilkat mountain range. The cool thing about Juneau is that each new hike leads you to such amazing views, but they are all different in their own way. The pictures may look great, but they barely do it justice.
Look here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.752412761662.2243395.3100290&l=9364f74528
On Wednesday...well Wednesday is trivia day. My team actually came in 2nd place this week....which entitled us to $40 worth of free booze. I <3 you too, Juneau.
Thursday, we got some sun so I ran 10 miles...in a t-shirt. Life was good and the sky was blue. I was squinting a lot (it's funny how you quickly you acclimate to a much lower light level). Then, I went to the local movie theater (not the big commercial one). It's called the "Nick" (or Nickelodeon) and it's pretty sweet. There are couches in the back and each seat has its own couch pillow, there are lamps inside and the person running the movie just yells stuff from the projection room. Popcorn costs $2. I was sold.
On Friday, Bud and his wife, Annie, hosted us for our "welcome" dinner (so we've already been working for 3 weeks, whatever...). The food was delicious and the wine was overflowing. Mmmm, just the way I like it.
Today, it's poured basically all day. So, my friend Jimmy and I took it upon ourselves to go hike for 5 1/2 hours. First, we did the treadwell trails and played on all the old mine ruins. Afterwards, we figured we may as well go find Mt. Jumbo (the highest peak on Douglas Island and possibly in the area). We originally planned to go up only about 30-40 minutes to get a better view of the treadwell "Glory Hole." Instead, we did the whole trail (if you can even call it trail, most of it included walking up waterfalls and climbing up root systems). Although visibility sucked, it was still one of the coolest views around. I got startled when a brave deer intercepted our path, but Jimmy got him to go away. (Good thing it wasn't a grizzly!) It was raining the whole time, but as I mentioned earlier, I still took pictures. My xtratufs definitely got some good use today.
Here are the pictures:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.752418180802.2243398.3100290&l=78a2215b94&type=1
Ciao!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Be Back Soon!
I know, I haven't posted at all this week but we had a few days without rain and due to my busy social calendar, I've been out and about doing activities and spending time with friends. Literally, I haven't even been home for the 1.5 hours necessary to do a load of laundry (except when I'm sleeping) and the basket is overflowing. I promise to post soon (maybe tomorrow...maybe Saturday). I've done some more awesome hikes and have some great pictures to post. Toodles!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
It's All About Friends
The fun part about Juneau is that it does feel like a small town so if you're relatively outgoing, it's easy to make new friends. The people are nice and cheery and happy to get to know you, provided that you aren't a tourist. Locals can be spotted by a few key items-their xtra tufs, the fact that they own a good hiking raincoat, but often walk around without the hood on, and/or the fact that they drive a Subaru. The Subaru even has the obligatory crack in the windshield (Yes, it's the first follow-up question asked by locals to see if I'm truly "legit"). Now that I have all three, I'm pretty much as authentically Alaskan as they come.
Earlier in the week, my co-clerk Gina and I had agreed to run a 5K this weekend. There was a big organized race that started at 9 AM Saturday morning, but we decided to forgo that option for sleep. Instead, we heard about a community race at Sandy Beach (on Douglas) that started at noon. It occurs right before the high school invitational (where all the "local" teams compete). The meet is pretty cool because even though these teams are "local," they all either have to fly in or take the ferry and most of the kids miss tons of school during their sports seasons. Sadly, the team from Kake only had 1 runner. All of the local parents put on a huge potluck for all the families and guests. SO after running our hearts out (mind you, this whole course basically consisted of trail running, up and down hills, hopping over logs, etc.), we got to feast on delicious homemade food. YUM! I promised myself that I wouldn't race, I'd just jog this one, but of course, I took off as soon as the gun went off. I think I was either the first or second female to finish (there was one person of questionable gender who finished ahead of me). Once the official race results are posted, I'll let you know ;) Besides not having to pay a registration fee and getting free food, I also got an awesome free Alaska shirt. Priceless.
Anyway, here's a pic of Gina and I post-race.
Also, Gina lives on a houseboat so I got to check that out. It actually was a lot roomier than I thought. Here's what the exterior and part of the interior looks like:
Saturday afternoon, I was lucky enough to have some other new friends sneak me on their zipline tour. The other three tourists each paid like $140 each. I paid 0. Oh, how I love the "local rate." The zipline is on Eaglecrest, the huge city-owned ski mountain. We did two smaller zips and then five big zips and a suspension bridge. I mostly goofed off with my friends (i.e. I had them chuck me off the platforms to see how fast I could go). It was TONS of fun!
Sunday was filled with activities too! After a big brunch at the Sandpiper (probably the only place in Juneau worth paying for the food), some friends and I decided to go check out the Harvest Fair out in the valley. It was "interesting" for about 10 minutes. However, here was my favorite part:
After that, I met another friend for coffee and after walking around town and peeking in bookstores, I had the genius idea that we should go get library cards. So we did! And now, I'm ending this post so I can start reading one of my recently-checked out books. Sweet!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Here Comes the Sun...
An amazing thing happened yesterday...the sun started peeking through the clouds as I went on my after-work run. I was so excited that I just kept running and ended up doing 10 miles in what satisfies for sun here (a fuzzy yellow orb behind the clouds). The best part of my run was looking at my running watch when I finished and realizing that it takes altitude into account so my workouts are now 33% more efficient! I may be racing in a local 5K this weekend because why not?!
Today, the sunshine (or lack of rain) continued and it was beautiful! My co-clerks and I immediately decided that leaving work early to go for a hike was a must. I convinced them to do the Perseverance trail, which is the major trail that picks up behind my house. Here are a few pictures from our amazing hike...yeah, this is what my backyard looks like!
If you're wondering where my lips went...well, it was a little chilly by the time we got to the top and all this rain has drained my tan pretty quickly (I think it lasted about 10 minutes here).
I also picked up Lester from the shop so I officially have some wheels. Don't be jealous of my sweet ride!
Today, the sunshine (or lack of rain) continued and it was beautiful! My co-clerks and I immediately decided that leaving work early to go for a hike was a must. I convinced them to do the Perseverance trail, which is the major trail that picks up behind my house. Here are a few pictures from our amazing hike...yeah, this is what my backyard looks like!
If you're wondering where my lips went...well, it was a little chilly by the time we got to the top and all this rain has drained my tan pretty quickly (I think it lasted about 10 minutes here).
I also picked up Lester from the shop so I officially have some wheels. Don't be jealous of my sweet ride!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Time Flies When You're Having Fun!
I ended up hiking the Salmon Creek trail on Sunday despite the pouring rain. (We were originally going to do the West Glacier trail again but it was flooded all the way to the parking lot so we decided to go to higher ground). Once we got in the trees, the rain let up and the trail was beautiful. (Although we did have a ton of fun slipping and sliding while hiking up the trail. I think the parts with wooden planks and ricketty stairs were the most difficult. Anyway, the path was filled with moss covered trees. Basically, it seemed like we were in a Jurassic Park movie. We saw some cool blue and black birds, but no bears. At the top of the path is the dam; it is set at the base of a lake surrounded by the tops of mountains. The view was amazing so we just camped out for a bit and took it all in. Apparently, there is a canoe that people leave there so you can canoe around the lake, but we did not see it and it was likely on the other side of the mountains (not a short hike). Sadly for all of you, I left my camera behind because I did not want it to get damaged by the rain (literally, everything was soaked by the end of the day). However, my friend Amber and her brother and sister took some great ones so hopefully they'll come your way soon.
Sunday evening, my co-clerk Gina and her boyfriend Rich arrived and they have been staying with me until tonight (although they arrived in Juneau this weekend, Gina could not get into her houseboat until Tuesday). It was fun having my first houseguests less than a week after move-in! Rich loves to cook so he volunteered to buy food (yes, my kitchen is still stocked) and play executive chef. On Sunday, some of my other friends went fishing and caught some HUGE salmon. Since these friends were leaving town soon, they filled up my freezer. Literally, I probably have 10 pounds of fish...all for free. We all decided to have a big dinner at my place, which is obviously the place to be (both native Junebugs and transplants agree that my place is awesome and I did a great job in finding it. Many have asked how I did it and/or if they could contact my landlord about the other apartment so I'm feeling pretty proud of myself these days.) Anyway, I got to have my first meal of freshly caught salmon and it makes a huge difference (I usually don't like salmon because it tastes too fishy, but not when it's fresh out of the water!). After cooking a huge meal on Sunday (while the rest of us went through WAY too many bottles of wine for a Sunday night), Rich decided to make salmon tacos last night. Of course, they were amazing, but he also made his own slaw, his own salsa, a yogurt chipotle sauce and toasted the tortillas. I supplied the guacamole and it was quite a feast. In fact, I ate so much that I had to ask myself if perhaps I had had too much salmon lately. Of course, the answer to that question is no, but I'm pretty sure that I'm well on my way to mercury poisoning.
Gina, Rich, Jimmy (my other co-clerk) and I also went climbing after work yesterday. They are all from California and go to all these cushy climbing gyms...they even have their own special shoes and harnesses. I, of course, decided to just climb in running shoes and we all had a good time despite the fact that these paths were a lot tougher than the rankings in California (that's right, they don't mess around in Alaska). I liked it, but my arms and body still hurt. Even typing is painful...
On the work front, today was the first day that Bud (my judge) was actually in the office. He's flying out again tonight so we're back to jeans for the rest of the week (woo hoo). I also finished my first memo (in record time, apparently). I'm aiming to be super efficient so that I don't have to cut back on my 1.5 hour lunches, come in before 9 or stay after 5. So far, so good. Toodles!
Sunday evening, my co-clerk Gina and her boyfriend Rich arrived and they have been staying with me until tonight (although they arrived in Juneau this weekend, Gina could not get into her houseboat until Tuesday). It was fun having my first houseguests less than a week after move-in! Rich loves to cook so he volunteered to buy food (yes, my kitchen is still stocked) and play executive chef. On Sunday, some of my other friends went fishing and caught some HUGE salmon. Since these friends were leaving town soon, they filled up my freezer. Literally, I probably have 10 pounds of fish...all for free. We all decided to have a big dinner at my place, which is obviously the place to be (both native Junebugs and transplants agree that my place is awesome and I did a great job in finding it. Many have asked how I did it and/or if they could contact my landlord about the other apartment so I'm feeling pretty proud of myself these days.) Anyway, I got to have my first meal of freshly caught salmon and it makes a huge difference (I usually don't like salmon because it tastes too fishy, but not when it's fresh out of the water!). After cooking a huge meal on Sunday (while the rest of us went through WAY too many bottles of wine for a Sunday night), Rich decided to make salmon tacos last night. Of course, they were amazing, but he also made his own slaw, his own salsa, a yogurt chipotle sauce and toasted the tortillas. I supplied the guacamole and it was quite a feast. In fact, I ate so much that I had to ask myself if perhaps I had had too much salmon lately. Of course, the answer to that question is no, but I'm pretty sure that I'm well on my way to mercury poisoning.
Gina, Rich, Jimmy (my other co-clerk) and I also went climbing after work yesterday. They are all from California and go to all these cushy climbing gyms...they even have their own special shoes and harnesses. I, of course, decided to just climb in running shoes and we all had a good time despite the fact that these paths were a lot tougher than the rankings in California (that's right, they don't mess around in Alaska). I liked it, but my arms and body still hurt. Even typing is painful...
On the work front, today was the first day that Bud (my judge) was actually in the office. He's flying out again tonight so we're back to jeans for the rest of the week (woo hoo). I also finished my first memo (in record time, apparently). I'm aiming to be super efficient so that I don't have to cut back on my 1.5 hour lunches, come in before 9 or stay after 5. So far, so good. Toodles!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
So Many Firsts!
I know, I haven't posted in a few days, but that's only because instead of sitting around, I've been out with friends having fun and/or getting wet.
Let's see-I finished my first week of work on Friday. Work has been really good and fulfilling and although it's daunting to realize that I'm supposed to be the competent one here, I think my brain is rising to the challenge. I have my first big memo due a week from Tuesday, but I will probably be done in the next 1-2 days. I also did my first tech edit this week (editing another clerk's and Bud's opinion before it goes out for voting and eventual publication). Although I had a crash course in learning some quirky Alaska citations and other technical matters, I churned it out pretty quickly and felt like I was actually contributing to something and making productive comments. All in all, it was a great week, but I was exhausted by Friday night (this whole "full-time" work week is tiring...who knew?).
Friday night, I learned to drive stick. That's right, sometime this upcoming week, I'll have my very own car (I have decided to name it "Lester" because it looks like the creepy kind of vehicle where you could kidnap children and throw them in the back). It is a 1992 Subaru (everyone here drives Subarus because they have all wheel drive and are good on the hills)...it will allegedly be very handy in winter because I can downshift on the hills and stay in control on the snowy mountain. Anyhow, I'm sure I'll take a picture of the gem at some point. I actually was amazingly good at driving stick (I was doing fine shifting right away and did not stall much). After about 30 minutes into my "lesson," I was on the highway, driving myself to my friend's house. I also made Daniel (the guy giving me the car) teach me about hills and other quirks. He seemed pretty confident that after 2 days of driving, I'll be a pro. Yay for new skills!
After a dinner with friends on Friday night, we went out to the bars. Of course, this meant The Alaskan (which I'm realizing is pretty much the "cool" bar in town). They had a really good live band playing swing?, jazz?, bluegrass?....some kind of fun dance music. Obviously, I was busting out some pretty sweet moves. The neat thing about the bars here is that there will be young people mixed in with older couples and people of all sorts of backgrounds and ages. However, after a while, my friends and I had to stop dancing because the smell of BO became overwhelming. (Apparently in Juneau, "dressing up to go out" means showering and people will often go out without even doing that.)
Let's see-I finished my first week of work on Friday. Work has been really good and fulfilling and although it's daunting to realize that I'm supposed to be the competent one here, I think my brain is rising to the challenge. I have my first big memo due a week from Tuesday, but I will probably be done in the next 1-2 days. I also did my first tech edit this week (editing another clerk's and Bud's opinion before it goes out for voting and eventual publication). Although I had a crash course in learning some quirky Alaska citations and other technical matters, I churned it out pretty quickly and felt like I was actually contributing to something and making productive comments. All in all, it was a great week, but I was exhausted by Friday night (this whole "full-time" work week is tiring...who knew?).
Friday night, I learned to drive stick. That's right, sometime this upcoming week, I'll have my very own car (I have decided to name it "Lester" because it looks like the creepy kind of vehicle where you could kidnap children and throw them in the back). It is a 1992 Subaru (everyone here drives Subarus because they have all wheel drive and are good on the hills)...it will allegedly be very handy in winter because I can downshift on the hills and stay in control on the snowy mountain. Anyhow, I'm sure I'll take a picture of the gem at some point. I actually was amazingly good at driving stick (I was doing fine shifting right away and did not stall much). After about 30 minutes into my "lesson," I was on the highway, driving myself to my friend's house. I also made Daniel (the guy giving me the car) teach me about hills and other quirks. He seemed pretty confident that after 2 days of driving, I'll be a pro. Yay for new skills!
After a dinner with friends on Friday night, we went out to the bars. Of course, this meant The Alaskan (which I'm realizing is pretty much the "cool" bar in town). They had a really good live band playing swing?, jazz?, bluegrass?....some kind of fun dance music. Obviously, I was busting out some pretty sweet moves. The neat thing about the bars here is that there will be young people mixed in with older couples and people of all sorts of backgrounds and ages. However, after a while, my friends and I had to stop dancing because the smell of BO became overwhelming. (Apparently in Juneau, "dressing up to go out" means showering and people will often go out without even doing that.)
Here's a self-photographed snapshot from that night. Sam and I were TOTALLY sober:
On Saturday, I had my first visit to the town recycling center (yes, you have to bring your recycling here, separate it and throw it into the appropriate piles). I took this fab pic of the wall:
The sign says "all children must remain in vehicles at all times," but they let ME walk around and wreak havoc. Sweet.
I also had some friends over for dinner at my place (now that it's set up and I have food). I made my first soup of the year and although it turned out great, I REALLY miss that immersion blender (shout out to my former roommate Sarah Solomon). I had to use the real blender and I made a huge mess in the kitchen....several messes, actually. Eventually, I realized that I have to puree in shifts, not really filling the blender over a 1/4 of the way unless I wanted to cause steaming veggies to fly everywhere. You live, you learn. The end result was colorful and delicious:
I'm going hiking in the rain this afternoon (ice caves-woot). As always, more to come!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Somebody Loves Me!
Somebody loves me. Her name is Sara. She bought me Glee DVDs while somewhere between Vietnam and Laos. Now, I am super happy. You could make me super happy too. Just send something here:
Becca Sherman
873 Basin Rd.
Juneau, AK 99801
My hope for the future (aka tomorrow) --> Wake up in the MORNING to run (so far, I'm 0 for 4 this week on morning workouts). I'm learning to drive a stick tomorrow so that I can take the possible beater car I may purchase up the hill (mountain) I live on. Yeah, life moves fast in Juneau. Oh, and I finally bought some xtra tuf rainboots (http://www.xtratufboots.com/) so I can feel like a real Alaskan and have dry feet. Life is grand ;)
Picture of the bar that I played trivia in last night:
It may be blurry, but I think you can make out the GIANT animal heads on the wall.
Oh, and here's one of the "important stuff" board in my office:
That "prom" picture is of my favorite irresponsible teens, Jennie and Patrick Escobedo.
Becca Sherman
873 Basin Rd.
Juneau, AK 99801
My hope for the future (aka tomorrow) --> Wake up in the MORNING to run (so far, I'm 0 for 4 this week on morning workouts). I'm learning to drive a stick tomorrow so that I can take the possible beater car I may purchase up the hill (mountain) I live on. Yeah, life moves fast in Juneau. Oh, and I finally bought some xtra tuf rainboots (http://www.xtratufboots.com/) so I can feel like a real Alaskan and have dry feet. Life is grand ;)
Picture of the bar that I played trivia in last night:
It may be blurry, but I think you can make out the GIANT animal heads on the wall.
Oh, and here's one of the "important stuff" board in my office:
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
And It All Starts...NOW
I know, I skipped a day, but I started work yesterday and finally moved into my new apartment today so a lot has been going on. Here's the recap:
Work is awesome. I have my first big memo due in two weeks (which is kind of a tight deadline since you usually get 6 weeks from the date they're assigned). Between yesterday afternoon (after we got the official tour, info, etc.) and today, I've already read about 800 pages of briefs, documents, and excerpts. It's enough to make anyone's head spin, but luckily, I have an awesome salmon-colored couch to read on (and/or nap)-
And what the rest of my office looks like...plus, the view in a hazy mist of pouring rain (it's actually beautiful and I waste a TON of time staring out the window):
If you're wondering, those chairs are mustard yellow with rainbow striped seat covers. Our administrator person asked me today if I wanted her to remove them. I responded with the only obvious answer: NEVER! Every time I look at them, I think of the person who created them and thought it was a good idea; they were either super eccentric or on drugs. Or since it was the '70s, probably both.
Now that I'm finally moved in, I'll put up pics of the apartment soon. Here's what you really need to know- it has a dishwasher and a jacuzzi bathtub. Point for yours truly! I also have a king size bed, which may not have been the best idea since it takes me forever just to walk around the thing, let alone put sheets on. Then again, I can have all my coupled friends (those "in a relationship") visit and snuggle with both members of said couple. Point 2 for Becca!
For all the haters, yes I've been running despite the fact that I live on the top of a mountain and rain is mama Juneau's favorite activity. I hear it actually rains more downtown than "up the road." Since Juneau only has one real road, "up the road" is also a favorite phrase of Junebugs. I'll explain it to you when you're older.
Suffice it to say, the rain just doesn't bother me as much here. In New England, our horrible hurricane-wannabe rainstorms would produce pouring rain for days, gray ominous skies and the feeling of impending death. Literally, it felt like the world was coming to an end. Here, it rains but life goes on as if it's no biggie. The daylight still continues until about 9:30 PM and it's more of a constant drizzle. Instead of impending doom, this place breathes life. Everything is green except for the occasional punctuation of the reddest berries you've ever seen and multi-colored flowers of beautiful purple, pink, yellow and orange. It also helps that literally around the corner from my house is a picturesque nature view of snow-capped mountains. The path (road) leads to several hiking trails and there is running waterfalls above and a basin below with a huge stream running through. If I want to get away from the city and civilization, I just turn the corner and I'm in one of the most beautiful places that I've ever seen. It's magical.
Until next time...
Work is awesome. I have my first big memo due in two weeks (which is kind of a tight deadline since you usually get 6 weeks from the date they're assigned). Between yesterday afternoon (after we got the official tour, info, etc.) and today, I've already read about 800 pages of briefs, documents, and excerpts. It's enough to make anyone's head spin, but luckily, I have an awesome salmon-colored couch to read on (and/or nap)-
And what the rest of my office looks like...plus, the view in a hazy mist of pouring rain (it's actually beautiful and I waste a TON of time staring out the window):
If you're wondering, those chairs are mustard yellow with rainbow striped seat covers. Our administrator person asked me today if I wanted her to remove them. I responded with the only obvious answer: NEVER! Every time I look at them, I think of the person who created them and thought it was a good idea; they were either super eccentric or on drugs. Or since it was the '70s, probably both.
Now that I'm finally moved in, I'll put up pics of the apartment soon. Here's what you really need to know- it has a dishwasher and a jacuzzi bathtub. Point for yours truly! I also have a king size bed, which may not have been the best idea since it takes me forever just to walk around the thing, let alone put sheets on. Then again, I can have all my coupled friends (those "in a relationship") visit and snuggle with both members of said couple. Point 2 for Becca!
For all the haters, yes I've been running despite the fact that I live on the top of a mountain and rain is mama Juneau's favorite activity. I hear it actually rains more downtown than "up the road." Since Juneau only has one real road, "up the road" is also a favorite phrase of Junebugs. I'll explain it to you when you're older.
Suffice it to say, the rain just doesn't bother me as much here. In New England, our horrible hurricane-wannabe rainstorms would produce pouring rain for days, gray ominous skies and the feeling of impending death. Literally, it felt like the world was coming to an end. Here, it rains but life goes on as if it's no biggie. The daylight still continues until about 9:30 PM and it's more of a constant drizzle. Instead of impending doom, this place breathes life. Everything is green except for the occasional punctuation of the reddest berries you've ever seen and multi-colored flowers of beautiful purple, pink, yellow and orange. It also helps that literally around the corner from my house is a picturesque nature view of snow-capped mountains. The path (road) leads to several hiking trails and there is running waterfalls above and a basin below with a huge stream running through. If I want to get away from the city and civilization, I just turn the corner and I'm in one of the most beautiful places that I've ever seen. It's magical.
Until next time...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
It's My Birthday and I'll Hike If I Want To...
So my first weekend in Juneau has been amazing! Saturday, I woke up to a rarity- a beautiful, sunny day where I could wear shorts and see all the scenic views Juneau has to offer. For example, this picture was taken from the place where I'm staying (the purple glow is coming from that beautiful sun):
And here's a great one of the city (you can see the cruise ships in the background):
Oh, and by the way, I'm living on a mountain. Literally. How do you get up and down a mountain? Lots and lots of stairs. Or, I can take the street option pictured below. Yep, that is the hill I will walk up and down every day. By the end of the year, my glutes will look fab!
I've been staying at the Judge's house until my lease begins on Tuesday. He and his wife went out of town early Saturday morning so it's been just me in this gorgeous 5-bedroom house (complete with a half-basketball court). They only asked that I take care of their dog while their gone. By some twist of fate, their dog looks exactly like my Sammy (in fact, I sometimes call him Sam when we're walking...oops).
The judge has one other pet that they forgot to mention....a carpet python! (No biggie.) Luckily, I don't really need to handle him although a family friend came today to give him medicine and I got to hold him while he was out of his tank. That's right, I'm moonlighting as a snake charmer. Feeling his scales move across my skin was really neat because their skin has such a unique texture. He was super friendly and not poisonous so woo hoo. You can see his head peeking out of his favorite shoe box here:
Yesterday, my new bestie, Sam, and I decided to go hike the glacier trail because the weather was gorgeous and who doesn't love glaciers?! Here's one of my fav pictures from that hike (Yep, that's the Mendenhall glacier. Note the floating ice in the water.):
We also saw bears! That's a bear cub in that tree.
Last night, I also went to an awesome house party in Juneau and our whole group ended up at the bars. There was birthday celebrations, karaoke, live music and so much more.
Today, my friend Kendri and I had a delicious brunch and then hiked up Mt. Roberts (the mountain that Juneau sits on). After hiking up, you can see panoramic views of the city, learn about the Tlingit (native tribe here) and take a tram down. Here's a pic from our hike:
I've taken a ton of pictures this weekend so I'll be posting the rest on facebook later. As for right now, it's time for a birthday barbeque complete with Alaskan king salmon and halibut. Mmmmm....
Tomorrow, I start work and as always, there's more to come!
And here's a great one of the city (you can see the cruise ships in the background):
Oh, and by the way, I'm living on a mountain. Literally. How do you get up and down a mountain? Lots and lots of stairs. Or, I can take the street option pictured below. Yep, that is the hill I will walk up and down every day. By the end of the year, my glutes will look fab!
I've been staying at the Judge's house until my lease begins on Tuesday. He and his wife went out of town early Saturday morning so it's been just me in this gorgeous 5-bedroom house (complete with a half-basketball court). They only asked that I take care of their dog while their gone. By some twist of fate, their dog looks exactly like my Sammy (in fact, I sometimes call him Sam when we're walking...oops).
The judge has one other pet that they forgot to mention....a carpet python! (No biggie.) Luckily, I don't really need to handle him although a family friend came today to give him medicine and I got to hold him while he was out of his tank. That's right, I'm moonlighting as a snake charmer. Feeling his scales move across my skin was really neat because their skin has such a unique texture. He was super friendly and not poisonous so woo hoo. You can see his head peeking out of his favorite shoe box here:
Yesterday, my new bestie, Sam, and I decided to go hike the glacier trail because the weather was gorgeous and who doesn't love glaciers?! Here's one of my fav pictures from that hike (Yep, that's the Mendenhall glacier. Note the floating ice in the water.):
We also saw bears! That's a bear cub in that tree.
Last night, I also went to an awesome house party in Juneau and our whole group ended up at the bars. There was birthday celebrations, karaoke, live music and so much more.
Today, my friend Kendri and I had a delicious brunch and then hiked up Mt. Roberts (the mountain that Juneau sits on). After hiking up, you can see panoramic views of the city, learn about the Tlingit (native tribe here) and take a tram down. Here's a pic from our hike:
I've taken a ton of pictures this weekend so I'll be posting the rest on facebook later. As for right now, it's time for a birthday barbeque complete with Alaskan king salmon and halibut. Mmmmm....
Tomorrow, I start work and as always, there's more to come!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Home Sweet Juneau
Yes, that's right. The stuffed bear in a glass box will mean home for the next 12 months. I finally arrived in Juneau after 10+ hours of travel and got to meet my judge and the outgoing clerks. They fed me pie. Obviously, I'm enamored.
Despite the fact that my parents' internet went out last night while I was trying to download movies to watch on iTunes, the journey was remarkably okay. I had two smooth flights (after dealing with some maintenance and power issues) and the skycap in Chicago let my 53 lb bag go without the extra charge. I did not even have to pull out any tears! However, the movie that did finally download was billed as a drama...iTunes somehow left out the part about the gratuitous sex scenes. Literally, nothing censored. I'm watching this thing on my laptop and could not stop thinking about how many people around me were wondering why I was viewing soft core porn on a public flight. Don't worry, I made sure there were no children around and fast forwarded when I felt the burn of leering eyes.
Once in Seattle, I realized that the airport there is wonderful. Maybe the anticipated 7-8 hour layovers won't be so bad after all. Here are some of the most amazing parts:
1) Indian artifacts
(Followed up by the most amazing rattails ever witnessed on men...even better than in Chile. Out of respect for the native peoples, I restrained my picture-taking impulse...but trust me on this one!)
2) A wine bar located right next to a fresh fish place. Mmmmm....
3) THIS!
FREE WILLY!
Oh, I also found a "talking fountain." It looked just like a regular water fountain until I started filling up my water bottle and it made strange gurgling noises. Since it takes a while to fill up the whole bottle, I drew quite a bit of attention with that one. I really hope they did not expand the concept to the "talking toilet."
The flight into Juneau was literally the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. There were snow-capped mountains to my right and out the left window, mountains and water and clouds. There was a thin pink/orange line on the horizon but except for that marker, you could not tell where the sky ended and the land began. If there is a heaven, I'm pretty sure it looks like that. Unfortunately, I did not have the window seat so no in-flight pics were taken, but I plan to capture it out in nature sometime soon.
I've been here for about 2 hours. I have not found any mountain men yet. I have found a cute boy that does Indian law...if he wears flannel tomorrow, I'm sold!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)